Rack-rail.



N. D. LEVIN.

RACK RAIL.

APPLICATION IILED 1230.17, 1906.

Patented Oct. 29, 1912.

NILS DAVID LEVIN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO GOODMANMANUFACTURING RACK-RAIL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1912.

Application filed December 17, 1906. Serial No. 348,351.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NILs D. LEVIN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicage, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Rack-Rails, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in rack rails, for rack raillocomotives, and has for its object to provide anew and improved deviceof this description.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein-Figure 1 is a plan view of a rack rail showing one form of construction;Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is asectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic viewshowing the track with a turnout.

Like letters refer to like parts throughout the several figures.

In the use of rack rail locomotives the rack rail is ordinarily placedbetween the two traction rails, and when there is a turn out or crossingthe track rail and the rack rail must necessarily cross each other (Fig.4). This necessitates the opening of the rack rail so as to permit thepassage of the track rail. Such a construction is shown, for example, inFigs. 1 and 2 wherein the ends A and B of the rack rail are separated topermit the passage of the track rail C, thus leaving a gap as it were,in the rack rail. here rack rail locomotives have two sprocket wheels,which engage the rack and the conditions are such that the gap betweenthe ends of the rack rail is short enough to permit the front sprocketwheel to engage one end of the rack before the other sprocket wheelleaves the other end, this gap can be left open, as shown for example,in Figs. 1 and 2. In view of the strain or pressure put upon the rack,however, some means must be provided for maintaining the correct pitchrelation of the two ends. In mines the racks are usually so short thatthey cannot be held in place when opened up to permit the passage of thetrack rail. Any movement of either end A or B of the rack would put itin such a position that the sprocket would not engage the teeth thereof.In order to prevent such movement I provide a rigid connecting piece Dwhich runs below the track rail C and l which rigidly connects togetherthe two ends A and B of the rack.

. arrangement is preferably such that the inner and lower edge of onebeveled surface is in line with the outer and upper edge of the adjacentbeveled surface in passing from the open end toward the rack proper.This arrangement insures the sprocket wheel being brought into correctalinement before the rack proper is reached, for if the sprocket wheelis laterally displaced it will engage these beveled surfaces and begradually moved into alinement.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 I have shown a rack rail which is also used as aconductor of the current used in operating the motor, and in such eventit is necessary to insulate the rack rail. As herein shown the ends Aand B are connected with insulating blocks F by the countersunk bolts Fand the connecting pieceD is also connected with these insulating blocksso that the ends of the rack rail will be insulated, this latterconnection consisting of the angle plates F (see Fig. 2). Asherein shownthe teeth A B project below the upper part of the ends A and B as shownat G, and are all connected together by the piece G which is fastened bythe bolts F to the insulating material. This leaves an open space belowthe main portion of the ends A and B. The pieces G are smaller in crosssection than the teeth to which they are connected so as to make theseopen spaces larger than the spaces between the teeth. This provides aself-cleaning arrangement, thus preventing the spaces between the teethfrom becoming filled with dirt or the like.

The ends of the rack rail are held down upon the supporting device inany desired manner, as, for example, by means of the bolts D passingthrough the connecting piece D.

' I claim:

1. A rack rail cut away so as to provide a gap for a track rail andmeans associated with the portions of the rack separated by the gap forpreventing relative movement thereof to maintain the correct pitchrelation between the teeth thereof.

2. A rack rail comprising two ends separated by a space to provide a gapthrough which a track rail may pass, a rigid connection between saidends below said track rail, and means for bringing the sprocket wheelinto proper alinement.

3. A rack rail comprising two ends separated by a space to provide a gapthrough which a track rail may pass, a rigid connection between saidends below said track rail, the teeth of the rack at the ends beingelongated and gradually decreasing in length, the connecting piecesbetween the teeth being provided with beveled faces, the outer beveledface on one side of a given tooth being in line with the inner beveledface on the other side of said tooth.

4. A rack rail comprising two ends separated by a space to provide a gapthrough which a track rail may pass, a rigid connection between saidends below said track rail, the teeth of the rack at the ends beingelongated and gradually decreasing in length, the connecting piecesbetween the teeth being provided with beveled faces, the outer beveledface on one side of a given tooth being in line with the inner beveledface on the other side of said tooth, and means for insulating said endsfrom said connecting plece.

- 5. A rack rail provided with two ends separated by a space to providea gap through which a track rail passes, means for rigidly connectingthe ends of the rack rail together to maintain the correct pitchrelation between the teeth thereof, the spaces between the teeth of saidends arranged so as to be self-cleaning.

6. In a rack railway a rack provided with ends separated by a gap, incombination with means for preventing relative movement between the endsso as to maintain the said ends in correct pitch relation at all times.

7. In a rack railway a rack provided with ends separated by a gap, incombination with means independent of the track construction formaintaining the said ends in correct pitch relation.

8. A rack rail comprising two ends separated by a space to providea gapthrough which a track rail may pass, a rigid connection between saidends below said track rail.

9. A rack rail comprising two ends separated by a space to provide a gapthrough which a track rail may pass, a rigid connection between saidends below said track rail, the teeth of the rack at the ends being elongated and gradually decreasing in length.

10. A toothed rack rail provided with two ends separated by a gap, meansfor rigidly connecting the ends of the rack rail together to preventrelative movement thereof to maintain the correct pitch relation betweenthe teeth of said ends, the spaces between the teeth of said endsarranged so as to be self-cleaning.

11. A rack rail comprising two ends separated by a space to provide agap through which a track rail may pass, a rigid connection between saidends below said track rail, a supporting device for the ends of the rackrail and means for holding the ends of the rack rail down upon thesupporting device.

N ILS DAVID LEVIN.

Witnesses EDWARD T. WRAY, DONALD M. CARTER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

